Numerous agencies have Mentor-Protégé (MP) programs; however, one of the most successful programs is administered by the Department of Defense (DoD). Congress established the DoD MP in 1991 for three basic reasons:
The primary goal of the DoD MP program is to increase the capabilities of eligible Protégés to the point where they can perform significant work on DoD contracts, resulting in an overall increase of contract and subcontract awards. It is the intent of the MP Program to foster long-term relationships between Mentors and Protégés in order to develop a stable small business vendor base. Details are contained in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFARs) Appendix I (click on Appendix I). The objective is to transform small businesses with great potential to be able to perform well as a prime contractor and/or a subcontractor.
There are several incentives for Mentors to participate in the MP Program. They may receive additional evaluation points toward the award of contracts in the evaluation of competitive offers. Mentors receive credit toward attaining subcontracting goals and costs they incur may be allowed as indirect costs. Also, contracts may be set-aside exclusively for competition among firms that are participants in the MP Program.
Several agencies have MP Programs. They even list the Prime Vendors that are currently performing as Mentors and provide contact information for their Small Business Utilization Specialists.
The following list is just a sample of agencies having MP Programs: